Information on this page covers the first half-century of Darrtown history.

1802: The arrival of Conrad Darr, Robert Ogle, and William Ogle in Milford Township

1803; The construction of the Kyger family cabin

1814: The platting of Darrtown

1817: The opening of the Hitching Post tavern

1825: The opening of the Darrtown post office, which closed in 1907

1848: The construction and operation of Lane's mill.

Historic Timeline

The timeline that appears below is designed to relate the history of our nation and the world with the history of Darrtown.

The "Darrtown Events" were determined from a combination of news clippings [from the Oxford (Ohio) Press and/or the Hamilton (Ohio) Journal News] and the following Internet sources

Darrtown Chronology

The content offered at all the other pages of this Darrtown.com website has been, and will continue to be, added in the order in which it is discovered and/or received.

Consequently, most events and dates, on the other pages of this website, appear without regard to chronological order.

However, this page (History 3) provides the following "Darrtown Chronology," which is the result of taking events gleaned from other parts of this website and presenting them here, in chronological order.

Historic Sites

Information on this page covers the first half-century of Darrtown history.

1802: The arrival of Conrad Darr, Robert Ogle, and William Ogle in Milford Township

1803; The construction of the Kyger family cabin

1814: The platting of Darrtown

1817: The opening of the Hitching Post tavern

1825: The opening of the Darrtown post office, which closed in 1907

1848: The construction and operation of Lane's mill.

Folklore, Anecdotes, and Trivia

Folklore is commonly defined as the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth. Folklore can be a body of popular myth and beliefs relating to a particular place, activity, or group of people

Anecdotes are defined as short and amusing or interesting stories about real incidents or persons.

Trivia is defined as "details, considerations, or pieces of information of little importance or value." Of course, if one cares about a subject (such as Darrtown), then, the "trivial" becomes "terrific!"

Railroad Plans Verified

An 1882 news article (displayed below), along with two accompanying photographs, appeared as a reprint, in the August 23, 1976 edition of the Oxford Press (Vol. 1, No. 23).

Titled, "Darrtown Days Gone By," the 1882 Oxford, Ohio newspaper article addresses numerous Darrtown-related news items, such as: Davis Corner; still houses; log, grain, and grist mills; the K of P Hall; and the famous 1921 baseball game that included professional players. These stories are already told on other pages of this website. So, for the most part, the "Darrtown Days Gone By" reprint reinforces or embellishes items already known and/or previously acknowledged.

German Heritage

Many Darrtown families are of German heritage. Their family names resonate with the expression, "der Deutschland."

Beyond having names that sound "German-like," genealogical research confirms that these Darrtown families, in fact, had roots in Germany.

Unwritten History

Grandmother's story of forbidden love revealed by former resident of Darrtown

The following item, titled "Romance of Early Days of Darrtown; Former Resident Gives Unwritten History" appeared in the Hamilton Daily News, Wednesday, August 21, 1929.

The "Unknowns"

This page features questions/puzzlements and unidentified photographs that have surfaced during research into Darrtown's history.

Since this page is devoted to things not known about Darrtown's past,

it seems appropriate to offer some thoughts about the unknown.

DARRTOWN DOCTORS

This page features information about doctors who served Darrtown and vicinity.

Like the other pages at this website, this page is a "work in progress." Information is added as it is discovered and/or contributed.

This page provides information about Lane's Mill, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Unfortunately, the mill no longer exists.

The site of Lane's Mill is located about two miles southwest of Darrtown (see map below). Directions to the Lane's Mill site appear below, along with several images of the old structure.

Lane's Mill

Four Mile Valley Railroad

For years, older generations, that were familiar with Darrtown lore, told younger generations about the railroad that was to be built and run through Darrtown. The story-tellers would cite the "levee-type" land formation south of town, as proof that the story was true.

Now, recorded history substantiates the legend! There REALLY WERE plans to build a railroad that would pass through Darrtown.

Darrtown Family Tree

Created in the spring of 2012, with a dozen or so families, the Darrtown Family Tree includes 5,776 individuals and nearly 700 marriages (as of 5/14/15).

A family's inclusion in the "Darrtown Family Tree" starts with the first family member to have lived in Darrtown and vicinity, since the village was founded, in 1814. Descendants are added from that point forward. The Darrtown Family Tree is not designed to include family history prior to a family's earliest residency in or near Darrtown.

Tale of Murder

In 1884, a widowed mother from Hamilton, Ohio traveled to Darrtown to visit her son and his family. She walked two and one-half miles to her son's farm west of Darrtown and was never seen again.

Read about Catherine Schneider's disappearance and the subsequent trial that ended with her son becoming the last man in Butler County, Ohio to be sentenced by a jury to hang for his crime.

"Where's Your Mother, George?" is the title of the novella that reveals this tale of murder.

Darrtown is located mid-way between Cincinnati and Dayton (Ohio) and Richmond (Indiana). It is approximately 35 miles from Darrtown to each of the three cities.

Darrtown is also situated in the south-central part of Milford Township, which is one of 13 townships in Butler County, Ohio.

Maps

There is no known "official" history of Darrtown. The best we have to work with are the Darrtown-related articles, journals, and/or stories that are handed down from one generation to the next.

This "History" section of Darrtown.com provides an unofficial, well-intentioned, collection of artifacts related to Darrtown history.

Some items, in this website, conflict with others; such is the lot of those who attempt to capture history. We gather as many pieces of the puzzle as we can, position them to the best of our ability, and a more accurate record of the past gradually emerges.

If you have information that enriches this collection of Darrtown-related history and/or makes it more accurate, please contact the Webmaster.

If your family now lives, or formerly lived, in or near Darrtown and you want to learn how your family's history can become part of this interactive project, visit theDarrtown Family Tree.

The L.A. Miller Diaries -

26 years of Darrtown history!

The Stephen D. Cone Biographical and Historical Sketches -

includes four references to Darrtown-related individuals

The amazing power of the Internet was demonstrated in April 2013, when a thoughtful and considerate individual from Colorado sent an email to the Darrtown.com webmaster and offered to share a collection of diaries written by long-time Darrtown resident, Mr. L. A. Miller.

Until the moment that the email arrived, no one associated with the Darrtown.com website knew of the diaries, which chronicle the life and times of Mr. L. A. Miller from 1910 through 1937.

This resource may be of interest to persons searching for information about Darrtown and vicinity. Steven Cone's book, available via the link below, is described as providing information about the city of Hamilton, Ohio from 1792 to 1896.